THE PARIS-BIARRITZ RALLY

11 – 17 June 2017

A thrilling new event inspired by the pioneers of motorsport

Rally Round’s latest European event is the most spectacular yet, exploring the delightful roads and gorgeous scenery between the romantic Capitals of France and the Czech Republic.

The Paris-Prague Rally is an enjoyable and highly sociable celebration of the pioneering days of motorsport (see ‘Why Paris-Prague?’, below) with plenty of leisurely lunches and refreshment stops. However, as Clerk of the Course Fred Bent and fellow route designer Kim Bannister embarked on their first recce, it became clear that the dream route they had plotted on their maps might be too long and too tiring for some of the Vintage cars and crews. For that reason Fred and Kim conducted a second recce and made some significant changes to the route initially outlined in the event brochure, reducing the daily driving distances by as much as 130km. The most noticeable changes are to days four and five, when we will no longer push south into the Italian Dolomites via Cortina d’Ampezzo. Instead we will take a more northerly path on quieter roads through the spectacular Austrian Tyrol, staying overnight in the world-renowned alpine resort of Kitzbuhel. We are indeed fortunate to have so many wonderful route options in this part of the world!The revised route is described in our recce report, which you may read or download via the link on this page. At 2,145km (1,333 miles) it is almost 300km shorter than originally proposed but no less magnificent, starting from the fabulous Chateau de Chantilly on the north-easters outskirts of Paris and pausing overnight at Nancy, St Gallen, Kitzbuhel, Linz and Brno before finishing in Prague’s stunningly beautiful Old Town. Naturally there will be plenty of sporting challenges on the way, with an entertaining variety of regularity sections and tests at historic motorsport venues such as the Freiburg-Schauinsland hillclimb and the old Masaryk grand prix circuit. The scenery is truly breathtaking too, from hills and high mountains to lush flower meadows, pretty villages, lovely lakes and forests studded with picturesque Bohemian castles. As ever the event has been designed to suit novices and experienced crews alike and is open to all cars of a type in production before 1969; as on our Paris-Madrid and Paris-Vienna Rallies, the pre-war categories will again compete for the prestigious Charles Jarrott Trophy, named in honour of Britain’s first motorsport hero.

Rather than bring the narrow streets of Prague’s Old Town to a complete standstill, the competitive finish line was set at the Day Six lunch halt at the Konopiste Golf Resort and Spa, 60km outside the city. Crews hoping to improve their final positions therefore had only a morning in which to to do, and with four regularity sections and a timed test it was an eventful one. Second-placed vintage crew Rudi and Helga Friedrichs retired with a damaged differential on their 1932 Alvis, leaving Martin and Olivia Hunt clear winners of the Charles Jarrott Trophy in their 1937 Frazer Nash-BMW. Meanwhile in the classic category, 1962 Triumph TR4 crew David Liddell and Mark l’Anson saw off all challengers to take the category and overall rally victory. Trophies were presented at a glittering awards dinner at the Prague Intercontinental, where indefatigable 1917 American LaFrance crew David and Catherine Harrison received the Spirit of the Rally Award and were acclaimed by a standing ovation. We will be updating our rally blog with photos and a full list of award winners shortly; in the meantime you may peruse the final results in detail by clicking on the button below.

Unlike our previous European events, Paris-Prague is not based on a period race, as such contests were halted after the catastrophic Paris-Madrid competition of 1903. Nevertheless, had fortune taken a different turn, Prague would have been an irresistible destination. The Bohemian capital had for centuries been one of the world’s greatest cities and the country we now know as the Czech Republic had a proud engineering and automotive heritage. Founded at Koprivnice in Moravia, Tatra (formerly Nesselsdorfer) is the third oldest motor manufacturer in the world after Daimler and Peugeot; in 1897 it produced the first car in central Europe, and in the 1930s Tatra engineer Hans Ledwinka’s pioneering designs were ‘borrowed’ by Ferdinand Porsche to create the Volkswagen Beetle, the Porsche 356 and the iconic 911. More recently, as a truck manufacturer, Tatra has achieved notable successes in the Paris-Dakar Rally.

Meanwhile the Laurin & Klement company, founded in 1895 at Mlada Boleslav, 65km north-east of Prague, quickly became the largest motor manufacturer in Austria-Hungary and achieved sporting success all over Europe; the fearsome car pictured on this page (above and below) is the FCR racer of 1909, a 100hp, 5,672cc machine with a 85mm bore and a 250mm stroke, which once broke the arm of an Italian mechanic attempting to start it but which nevertheless carried Otto Hieronimus to several race victories and Dr Alexander Comanos Pasha to a category win in the 1911 hillclimb at Gaillon, France. Laurin & Klement is known by a different name today, having been acquired in 1925 by Skoda – a marque that has since established a long and enviable record in international rallying.

Of course Prague is not the Czech Republic’s only attraction, as the country offers delightful roads through romantic landscapes dotted with fairytale castles, grand towns and charming villages, not to mention a hearty cuisine and world-famous breweries! What’s more, to reach this heartland of European culture and civilisation the 2017 Paris-Prague Rally will travel through some of the most beautiful regions of France, Germany, Switzerland and Austria.

Dr Alexander Pasha with the fearsome Laurin & Klement FCR at the Gaillon Hillclimb in 1911

“A stupendous rally, really outstanding. Extremely well organised and action packed. An abiding memory will be of the great camaraderie and endless laughter.We cannot think of a single thing that would have made it better”
Adrian & Barbara Shooter (1930 Ford Model A) – The Road to Mandalay Rally 2014

“Thank you for three unforgettable weeks, the mixture of laughter, friendship, culture, history, driving and fun. What a cocktail!”

Peter Baker (1939 Citroen Traction Avant) – Paris-Madrid Rally 2014

“Words cannot express how amazing this rally was – truly a once in a lifetime experience!”

“What a trip! Another fantastic Rally Round effort – seamless logistics, excellent route and wonderful activities. Once again you and your team created a superb experience. We had a fantastic time in Japan and we look forward to our next outing!”